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Yes! My Circus ... And My Monkeys

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

It’s here! It’s here! We are officially celebrating our 12thanniversary at the Farmstead Farmer’s Market! Twelve years is a long time and we have all of you to thank for our longevity and success. If anyone could have told us back in 2007 that we would have a crowd of loyal customers who visit every week, as well as multiple product lines that we bake for that wonderful crowd, we probably would have looked at them wishfully. Now we can just say, “Thank you!!” Tom and I will be working hard to continue baking your favorites, as well as introducing new products to keep your interest. (In that vein, if you ever have an idea, please don’t be shy about sharing it!)

As co-owners, Tom and I work together every day to bring you all the baked goods you see at the market. However, we don’t usually talk about what it’s like to have a “family business.” And, this is definitely a family endeavor. In fact, this summer we’ve been blessed to have two of our daughters helping us periodically. It’s been a treat. As a thank you, I got to indulge today in one of my favorite pastimes – experimenting in the bakery.

I’ve told stories in the past about how when we make mistakes, we make them on a much larger scale than we would at home. Well, when we do fun things we get to do them a bit bigger, too. That was the case today. With our daughter, Maya, leaving for school tomorrow (and contributing to our new empty nest experience), Tom and I decided to use some extra leftover sweet roll dough to make her a treat. (You should know that since they were school-aged, out children have perfected the art of buying their friends with baked goods. This time is no different…Maya is going to treat her new staff at school to this delectable confection.) A little dough, a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon, a few mini chocolate chips and a couple of hours’ proofing and baking time and we had a beautiful, mouth-watering Chocolate Monkey Bread loaf for her to take to school. (Now, before you get all excited, this is not going to be a regular offering at Sandi’s Breads. I only brought it up to demonstrate the idea that a family business has its perks.)

While we won’t have chocolate monkey breads for sale this weekend, we will have a lot of other goodies and will be celebrating, along with the entire market, our 12thAnniversary. As we did last week, we will offer a 10% discount to all of you who mention reading this in the newsletter. We’ll just call it a Baker’s Dozen treat for our customers!

If you bring a friend along, they will get the special deal, as well!

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering where today’s recipe is. As I mentioned last week, I’m taking a couple of weeks off from cooking and recipe creating. I’ll be back at it in a couple of weeks – after we get our other daughter off and running in her new endeavor.

For now, let me just indulge in a bit of shameless promotion. A couple of years ago, when Tom began insisting I start baking pies, I thought he was a bit, well, crazy. When did I have time to make pies?! Now, we have them as a regular item in our case and have been taking suggestions and orders for them for a while. It’s been a great learning experience. So, when I heard from a customer about a Peach-Blueberry pie last year, I decided it had to be a feature for us. This week, with peaches at the height of their season, and blueberries still available, I’m baking up a storm of Peach-Blueberry pies. I also worked hard to develop my own version of wet-bottom Shoo Fly pie and that will be available this weekend, too.

A Deluge Of News...And Tasty Treats

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Family news and seasonal foods

Ahhh! I’ve been attacked … by the lazy days of summer. (Isn’t that the lyric of some old song?) I simply can’t pull myself together to write a recipe. I’m living on leftovers and fresh salads (thanks to my wonderful husband who not only cooks, but does the shopping!) and alternately lounging in the air conditioned house, or our lovely backyard.

So, I’ve come to a conclusion. For the next few weeks, I will send out a newsletter with a little clip of what’s going on in our lives and in the bakery. Then, after a bit of a rest, we’ll get back into the swing of things with some new recipes sent out by a reenergized Sandi.

Now, here’s what’s going on in our life right now. We are approaching two amazing milestones. First, we are going to be truly empty nesters this fall! I know, right?! Exciting! With four kids, we feared it would never happen. But both of our youngest (the twins) will be leaving in the next couple of weeks for their own different adventures. It will be wonderful to hear about all the things they’ll be doing as they stretch their wings. (Let it be known, though, that we are not so naïve as to think this empty nest is a permanent arrangement. We know that the kids leave, then come back, then leave, then come back…and on and on. Hopefully the coming back won’t last long and won’t be repeated too many times.)

And, for the other milestone (drumroll please!) - our older daughter and her husband are going to make us grandparents! Yes!!! February will be the magical month. So, from now until then, I’ll be honing my grandma skills and working on recipes for new moms and dads that are packed with nutrition and very easy to prepare on the fly.

So, now that I’ve caught you up on our lives, let’s do a quick review of what’s going on in the bakery this week, and we’ll be on our way.

This week’s treats include a new item that we in the bakery are swooning over. We’re calling it Chocolate Sweet Tart Cake. It’s an incredibly rich, moist, chocolate cake studded with mini chocolate chips, filled with tidbits of rhubarb, and topped with a chocolate buttercream frosting. Yes, you read that right. A chocolate cake with rhubarb. Have I ever steered you wrong? Just try it and let me know what you think. I’m a big girl and can take criticism, so hit me with it. I promise if you don’t love it I won’t make it again.

Now, for the other surprise. Remember last year when I developed a brownie for Spring Gate Winery? I modeled it after their Renove wine and actually included some of the wine in the recipe. I decided that we needed a break from the same old brownies in the case, so I’ve brought back the Renove brownie. I’m also open to other brownie ideas. (After all, even brownies can use a little face lift every now and then.)

It’s about time to sign off and give you the menu, but I just have to remind you that it’s homegrown tomato season and you absolutely must try some of those amazing local tomatoes on our Dill ‘n Veggie bread. We’ve brought it back this weekend after getting requests last week. Try a thick slice of juicy, fresh tomato on our Dill ‘n Veggie bread with a little schmear of our onion dip. I’ll leave it up to you to come up with good descriptors for this sandwich. Message me when you do and I’ll give a gift certificate to the best one.

Speaking of gifts, it’s our 12th anniversary at Farmstead this weekend! In celebration, we want to give you a gift. Mention this newsletter and we’ll give you 10% off your purchase.

Additionally, it’s National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day this Saturday. Remind me of that and I’ll give you a free chocolate chip cookie. So many fun things! Can’t wait to see you all this weekend.

Thai Cuisine Revisited...Still Amazing!

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Quick and easy Asian deliciousness

This week has been a bit of a busy one with kids all arriving one evening to check in on their grandmother who just had a hip replacement. MawMaw, as she is called, is doing great and the kids were all happy to see her in good spirits. That hectic evening called for an easy, quick meal that we could eat on the go. So, I resurrected a recipe from last year that we all loved. It really fit the bill. Tasty, easy to prep, and delicious.

As with a number of my recipes, I relied on the variety of sauces that I keep on-hand. If you haven’t learned yet, Asian sauces such as Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, and Soy Sauce are essential for quick stir-fry meals and are easy to just keep in the fridge.

Another key ingredient to this recipe is basil. Ideally, you would be able to get Thai basil, which has a different flavor profile than Italian basil, but either will do. The neat thing about basil is how well it keeps on your counter in a glass of water. In the past, I bought basil, used a bit, and put the rest in the fridge only to find it wilted and ruined in the next day or so. Now, I have it on my counter and ready to top a salad, sprinkle on my ratatouille, or add to a dish of tortellini with olive oil. So, go ahead and pick up that bunch of basil this weekend when you’re picking up veggies and you’ll find great ways to use it throughout the week.

Oh, the other key ingredient I used was a fresh jalapeno from our garden. I didn’t find the other kinds of peppers at the store and it made more sense to use our own. I sliced half of it extra thin and it added just enough heat to gently warm our palates, not set our mouths on fire. You can easily add more once the dish is cooked if you want more heat. Oh, I almost forgot, I have doubled the sauce at times, too. We like extra sauce to put over our rice. It’s such a simple recipe, the sauce comes together in a couple of minutes.

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or as needed
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sliced shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced Thai chilies, Serrano, or other hot pepper (I used a jalapeno from Tom’s garden and it was wonderful.)
1 cup very thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (When measuring basil, pack the cup full.)
2 cups hot cooked rice (I opt for jasmine rice. It’s so aromatic and lovely.)

Whisk chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a bowl until well blended.
Heat large skillet over high heat. Drizzle in oil. Add chicken and stir fry until it loses its raw color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in shallots, garlic, and sliced chilies. Continue cooking on high heat until some of the juices start to caramelize in the bottom of the pan, about 2 or 3 more minutes. Add about a tablespoon of the sauce mixture to the skillet; cook and stir until sauce begins to caramelize, about 1 minute.
Pour in the rest of the sauce. Cook and stir until sauce has deglazed the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until sauce glazes onto the meat, 1 or 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in basil. Cook and stir until basil is wilted, about 20 seconds. Serve with rice.

Now, for dessert, we have the last of the Strawberry Rhubarb pies this week. (I know you heard that before, but I really am switching it up …cherry pies next week!) We’ll also have Blueberry Crumb pies. Along that same theme, we have Blueberry Fields and Peach Blueberry muffins for breakfasts. If you enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee or tea any time during the day, you should check out our biscotti selection, too. I added Pineapple to the lineup recently and they’re sublime. Yum.

No Fancy Titles, Just A Great Meal

Thu, 30 May 2019 22:01:19 GMT

No Fancy Title, Just A Great Meal

So, I know that last week’s post was all about our buns, but I just couldn’t resist showing you this delicious (extremely easy!!!) meal that we whipped up tonight. Thursdays at the bakery are incredibly busy and most nights I’m not even hungry when I get home. I’m focused on getting the post written and distributed so I can relax and get ready for Friday. However, this week we got ahead of the game by cooking a roast in the crockpot earlier in the week so we could just warm it up on Thursday night. What a great plan! Now, I’m able to sit and focus with a very satisfied tummy. I’m getting the newsletter done as well as Instagram posts made. (Yes…I’m hangin’ with the millennials and doing that Instagram thing!)

If any of you are on Instagram, I’ve been posting for a while now and am finally getting the hang of it. Tonight, while eating my amazing French Dip sandwich, I got a lesson on the difference between my Instagram feed and my story from one of my daughters. So, watch for more postings from the bakery!

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how to create your own version of the scrumptious sandwich in the photo, so here it is.

Purchase a nice sized chuck roast from Linda’s Meats at the market. Place the roast in the crockpot with a cup of water. Sprinkle an entire packet of French Onion Soup mix on top of the roast and turn the crockpot on low. Cook overnight. Remove meat and reserve gravy. Shred meat. Serve with our New England Hot Dog Buns with dishes of au jus (the gravy) on the side for dipping.

See? Isn’t that just the easiest meal ever? Write back and let me know if you’ve tried this, or have other easy, make-ahead meals like this.

In other news, I made Strawberry Rhubarb pies for the first time ever this week. (I’ve never had one, so it was a bit of an adventure.) They turned out great. I can’t wait for you to try them and let me know what you think. Also, if you have any suggestions for other pies you’d like us to make, just shoot me an e-mail.

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend at the market!

Just Read (I'm all out of snappy titles)

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 23:55:03 GMT

It's time for summer picnicking. Here's a recipe to try!

It’s that time again! Time to get ready for the big 4th of July cookout! We love this holiday. What can be bad? Lots of friends and family getting together, sharing great food, taking a dip in a pool (and/or a hot tub, depending on the temperature), and generally having a great time together is always a wonderful thing.

In honor of the holiday, we’re going to talk about burgers. And, this week’s recipe blog is a two-fer. If you are having Greek Spinach and Feta burgers, how can you not have tzatziki sauce with them? (And, yes, I know that I’m promoting Greek food for 4th of July. Oops.)

Then, when you’ve finished your yummy meal, it’s time for dessert. This is what I’ve been focusing on recently. (Here’s where the whole red, white, and blue theme comes in. Well, red and blue anyway.) Our pies are getting popular and I’m ecstatic about it. Just this week I worked on a new recipe for cherry pie. You’re going to love it. I’ve combined both sweet and sour cherries for a pie with cherry flavor that it really hits it out of the park. (Not that I want to blow my own horn, but we polished off the sample before you say, “Cherry Pie!” And, my in-laws, who have very discerning pie palates, loved it, too!)

So, get all you need for your burgers and sauce, then grab a pie. While you’re doing that, don’t forget the burger buns, hot dog rolls, and possibly a loaf of Garlic Feta bread to serve with the burgers instead of buns…just a suggestion.

As always, if you want to be certain that something will be available, shoot me an e-mail and I can hold it back for you.

Now, on to our culinary adventure of the week!

Greek Spinach and Feta Burgers

1 pound lean ground beef (you can substitute chicken or turkey here)
1 box frozen spinach
1 4-oz container feta
½ medium onion, diced
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 c shredded lettuce

Cook spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place ground meat in bowl, add spinach, feta, and diced onion. Mix until all ingredients are well-incorporated. Divide into burgers (whatever size you like!). Chill burgers while you make the tzatziki sauce.

Grill burgers to desired doneness. Top with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and lettuce on a Sandi’s Breads bun or Garlic Feta loaf. Wow. Let me know how you like it when you stop by the bakery.

Tzatziki Sauce

2 (8 ounce) containers plain Greek yogurt (Regular plain yogurt will be too runny.)
2 cucumbers - peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced (Definitely use fresh. Jarred will be too bitter.)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced fine (Or, if you don’t LOVE garlic, back off to 2 cloves.)

Dice the cucumbers into a fine dice. Place in colander and salt lightly, stir. Let sit for as long as possible. (15 minutes would be a good amount of time.)
In a bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Fold with spatula until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.